The city plans to paint the exterior walls of World Expo pavilions with a
newly invented nanotech-based coating material which acts as a "permanent air
purifier," a local scientist said yesterday.If the coating proves to be
effective at air cleaning, it will be gradually used on buildings across
Shanghai in order to thoroughly improve the city's air quality, scientists
said."The coating material will become an ever-extensive permanent air
purifier to improve the local environment," Shi Liyi, vice director of the
Nano-Science and Technology Research Center at Shanghai University, told
Shanghai Daily during an international nanotech symposium yesterday.The
coating project, which is funded by the city's Science and Technology Commission
and the central government with 1.8 million yuan (US$216,800), started early
this year and more than 20 researchers are taking part.The core of the
material is a titanic-oxide-based compound that comprises particles at
nano-scale achieved by advanced nano-technology.Exposed under sunlight, the
substance can automatically decompose the major ingredients that cause air
pollution such as formaldehyde and nitride.Nanotechnology refers to building
things with atoms and molecules to perform specific tasks at a scale of as small
as 10,000th of human hair.Because each particle of the new coating material
is much smaller than a normal one, there is less space between any two such
particles, making sure that the substance can very effectively decompose air
pollutants if painted upon the high-rise walls, researchers said.The
material can also be applied to paving road surfaces.Shi said that the new
coating material will be used in some public buildings next year and will be
eventually used to paint the World Expo pavilions.